Vocabulary Builder - latch He spoke with the diffidence of a man who knew how slight a thing would overset the delicate organization of the mind, and yet with the confidence of a man who had slowly won his assurance out of personal endurance and distress. ``From this prison here of horror, whence I every hour tend nearer and nearer to destruction, I send you, Monsieur heretofore the Marquis, the assurance of my dolorous and unhappy service. She had high animal spirits, and a sort of natural self consequence, which the attention of the officers, to whom her uncle's good dinners, and her own easy manners recommended her, had increased into assurance. The very first sentence conveyed the assurance of their being all settled in London for the winter, and concluded with her brother's regret at not having had time to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before he left the country. Her power was sinking; everything must sink under such a proof of family weakness, such an assurance of the deepest disgrace.
creative writing prompts . com ideas for writers SPARKNOTES Attributions are inferences that people make about the causes of events and behavior. People make attributions in order to understand their experiences. Attributions strongly influence the way people interact with others. Types of Attributions Researchers classify attributions along two dimensions: internal vs. external and stable vs. unstable. Internal vs. Attribution theory proposes that the attributions people make about events and behavior can be classed as either internal or external. Example: Maria’s car breaks down on the freeway. Stable vs. Researchers also distinguish between stable and unstable attributions. Example: Lee gets a D on his sociology term paper. Attribution Bias When people make an attribution, they are guessing about the causes of events or behaviors. The Fundamental Attribution Error The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute other people’s behavior to internal factors such as personality traits, abilities, and feelings. The Self-Serving Bias
5 Building Blocks of Your Characters Personality by Mark Nichol Now that you’ve decided what your character’s motivation is, it’s time to actually construct the vessel in which this purpose will reside. Just how do you build a person? By creating a life where none existed. 1. How was the character’s early life? Is domestic trauma in the character’s past? 2. Is the character a loner, or a social butterfly? 3. What does the character do for a living? Do they like their job? 4. What does your character do after work, on weekends? 5. Is the sun always shining, or does a perpetual rain cloud perch just over the character’s shoulder? What are your character’s political views and social opinions? So many questions!
7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them) by Mark Nichol The sentence construction “(noun) (verb phrase) by (noun)” is known as passive voice or passive construction, because the true subject is relegated to the end of the sentence and is thus acted on, rather than acting, which often weakens the statement. The solution is simple: Give the focal point of the sentence its due — “(noun) (verb) (noun),” and demote the false subject to the back of the line. Note that not every passive construction is evil — sometimes what seems to be the false subject is worthy of prominence — but a preponderance of passive constructions leads to a wearying read. 1. The actors in this little drama are the spam spenders — or, to be more active, the spam senders are the actors in this little drama. 2. Again, the subject is weak and indeterminate. 3. We is stronger than it as a sentence opener, but “our neighbors” is stronger still: “Our neighbors invited us to attend their party.” 4. 5. 6. 7.
Margaret Moore - Narrative Tension This column is based on questions Margaret gets asked by those who also want to write romance novels. The answers are based on her personal experience. Every author must and should find their own way along this path; however, sometimes it helps to know how it was for an author who's reached the goal of publication. This column's question: Narrative Tension: What is it and how do I get it? Margaret answers: To put it in its most simple terms, narrative tension is what keeps the reader reading, because they're wondering what's going to happen next. The best way to do that, in a romance or any other work of fiction, is to create characters that the readers care about, that they feel emotionally invested in. But there's more to it than that. In a romance, the reader knows the eventual outcome (a lasting, loving relationship between the hero and heroine), so the narrative tension comes from the various conflicts. HOWEVER,unrelieved tension is not good, either. Index of Aspiring Author Columns
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Waterfalls Mingo Falls is located just outside the park on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Photo by Robert Crootof. Every year over 200,000 visitors hike well-worn trails to view Grotto, Laurel, Abrams, Rainbow, and other popular waterfalls in the park. Large waterfalls attract the crowds, but smaller cascades and falls can be found on nearly every river and stream in the park. The Great Smoky Mountains abound with the two ingredients essential for waterfalls-ample rainfall and an elevation gradient. The following are brief descriptions of the Smokies most popular waterfalls.
How To Inspire Yourself To Write At Least 750 Words Per Day 750 words was originally designed to help writer creativity, by encouraging writers to write 750 words on any topic first thing in the morning. The theory is that once you start writing and getting the ideas on paper you have both begun your writing and have formed more coherent thought processes about what you will write. Why Write 750 Words? Writing without a plan is an ideal method to overcome writer’s block, since you relieve the pressure of writing formally, yet encourage the flow of ideas. By teaming this concept with a beautiful, distraction-free interface for writing, 750 words is a great way for writers to begin their morning. Writing is deliberately kept private – there is no way to make this writing public using the 750 words site. How To Begin With 750 Words Sign up is simple using Facebook, Google, Yahoo or OpenID for access. If you wish, 750 words will email you a daily reminder to write 750 words. To use, simply write. The page is clean and simple. Badges For Motivation
Avoid Burnout as an Online Writer - Choose Jobs Wisely | Free Writing Center Along with the plethora of new opportunities that are available throughout the Online Content industry, there is the issue of too much work and not enough time. If you’re anything like me and you hate passing up good income-generating opportunities, it can be hard to say no. The Schedule of an Online Writer Making an income from writing is unfortunately still scorned upon by older, traditional folks who believe that a job should be something that you “drive into” by 8am and then “drive home from” by 5pm, along with the rest of the rush hour crowd. Well, let me tell you something about the right thing…when you are capable of generating a high volume of quality writing, and you can get paid for that writing, you best believe that the income you can earn from your skills will be just as good as any 9-to-5 job that you’ll find with any corporation. The issue is the stereotype of the Internet. Too Many Opportunities 4 Signs of a Good Online Writing Opportunity from your own site.
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Writers Digest - Motivate Your Characters Like a Pro Edgar-nominated author D.P. Lyle, MD, advises that to begin developing a character’s motivation, you should first decide where he or she falls—at the beginning of your story—in each of these key spectrums: Tough Guy <–> Whiner Team Guy <–> Rebel Artist <–> Dreamer Smarty <–> Dummy Blooming Rose <–> Wallflower Grinder <–> Lazy Dog Goody <–> Baddy Believer <–> Doubter Now, look ahead to where you plan for your story to end. Where will your character fall on all of the above spectrums, once the story arc has come to its close? Motivated characters all have one thing in common: They change. Lyle illustrates this with his example of what he calls “the perfect thriller:” The Terminator. To see why, perform the above exercise, measuring Sarah Connor’s character trajectory on all of the above spectrums. Now, try it with your own characters in your work-in-progress. Afraid your character’s motivation isn’t strong enough? You might also like:
Contributor Guidelines | Outpost Magazine Submitting completed stories is best, especially if you’re a new or unpublished writer with little publishing history; this is the best way editors can evaluate a story. The Editorial Department does NOT accept queries over the phone. To submit, email editor@outpostmagazine.com, with the subject line “Story Query.” All story ideas should be submitted by a formal email query (email submissions are best), and should include: an outline of the story idea, including its angle, direction, elements and proposed length; the availability of photos to illustrate the story (a necessity, as most travel experiences are highly unique and tapered); contact information (phone and email address); a full or partial manuscript, sent in as an attachment in Word format is best. Samples of previously published work (a few only!) Do not send in by postal service/mail any unsolicited material, especially original photos, slides, illustrations, other such graphics, and any unique material.